Physical Security Management Protocol

The Protective Security Requirements (PSR) set out the government’s mandatory requirements and management requirements related to physical security.

Physical security focuses on the provision and maintenance of a safe and secure environment. It involves the protection of agency employees and visitors, as well as the physical measures designed to prevent unauthorised access to official resources and to detect and respond to security incidents.

Appropriate physical security is vital for the protection of people, information and assets.

Mandatory requirements

There are 7 mandatory requirements relating to physical security that agencies must follow.

They include:

1. providing clear direction on physical security through the development of policy and an agency security plan
2. having in place policies and protocols for all aspects of physical security
3. integrating physical security into the process of planning, selecting, designing and modifying agency facilities
4. ensuring any proposed physical security measure or activity follows the relevant health and safety requirements
5. showing a duty of care for the physical safety of the public interacting with the New Zealand government
6. implementing a level of physical security measures that minimises or removes the risk of information assets being made inoperable, inaccessible or improperly accessed or used
7. developing plans and protocols to move up to heightened security levels in cases of emergency and increased threat.

Management requirements

The PSR provides further information for agencies on topics such as event security and physical security of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment.

For more information, refer to the management requirements for physical security.